Ceremony
by Reverse Keyblade
Summary: Chris/Jill. Post RE5 canon. When one experiences so much fear, there's only so much fear they can forget. When Chris stumbles, he'll need the only partner he has ever wanted there to pick up the pieces. Sequel to Chiaroscuro! Read and Review!


{A/N: This story takes place after "Chiaroscuro". It is a follow up story taking place during and after Capcom's viral video, "Ceremony". What would happen if Chris was more affected by the events in Kijuju than he let on?}

_Fear you Can't Forget…_

"Damn tie", swore Chris Redfield, fidgeting with the frustrating garment, "How do we ever put up with this?"

"Because," breathed his girlfriend, Jill Valentine, from behind him, causing him to flush at their proximity, "they usually have a woman to help." Chris turned around, admiring (though a little lustily, he had to say) the beautiful dress Jill had decided to wear for his award commendation ceremony by the B.S.A.A. Though there was a light scar where the bio-implant had been, she looked as sexy as she always had.

"Like what you see, Mr. Redfield?" asked Jill in an innocent voice, all too well knowing what his reply would be.

"You know me too well", chuckled Chris, as she straightened out his tie. "That could be my undoing".

"As long as you end up undoing something else, later", Jill whispered huskily in his eye, leaning up on her tiptoes to do so. Chris did not miss the allusion to the certain undergarment, and blushed profusely.

When the couple had finished preparing, Chris grabbed his B.S.A.A. badge from his desk, pausing only a second to glance at the picture framed on top of it.

_Mom, Dad, Claire…you'd be proud. _

Though their parents had passed away long ago, Chris made it a point to regularly keep in touch with his little sister. Before the incident in Raccoon city, he had even used his job to help pay her way through college. However, he had not talked to her since the incident in Kijuju—the last he had talked to her, she had gotten over another encounter with the damned T-Virus that had started this whole crusade in the first place.

He could only imagine the smile on her face when he ended up telling her about finding Jill alive, and that they were together no less.

He didn't know if he could live it down.

"Ready, Chris? The limo is here," inquired Jill, intertwining her fingers with his. He looked down and smiled.

"As ready as I'll ever be…let's get this over with, huh?"

And with that, the two headed outside to their escort, awaiting to take them to the B.S.A.A press conference.

BSAA Press Event: Post-Kijuju

Chris sat outside the entrance to the podium, palms sweating as he looked over his speech. Well, if one could call it a speech. He hadn't felt this level of stress, since, well…

Kijuju itself.

"Mr. Redfield?" asked an agent, opening the door slightly. He nodded in affirmation. "We're ready for you! And once again, congratulations!"

_Congratulations?_ Thought Chris in surprise. _Cut the crap. It isn't some fucking party. _Regardless, he walked through the door, and onto a brightly lit stage. Looking out over the audience, he thought he recognized members of the Global Pharmaceutical Consortium, and knew he recognized Sheva, Josh Stone, and, of course, his loving girlfriend, Jill.

"Ladies and gentleman," announced the captain, "The B.S.S.A is proud, to award Christopher Redfield, our top agent, with the Star Cross, our highest commendation to date, for…"

Chris began to sweat slightly, turning introspective.

_It's amazing how far you can get in life…by destroying the lives of others. _

All the people that had been lost in the war against Umbrella corporation and it's monstrous associates.

"Mr. Redfield?"

"Hmm?" He glanced up, to see the captain gesturing with a friendly arm towards the podium. "Oh, gotcha," he replied with a winning smile. As he stepped up to the dias, he was temporarily blinded by the flash of the media cameras around him.

**Flash!**

**Flash!**

"When we were young, my sister and I learned to hold ourselves to a high standard at a very early age…" Chris started, tentatively.

**Flash!**

**Flash!**

"_Poor peformance indeed!"_

Chris blinked, once, and then again. From down off stage, Jill began to inch forward—she could instantly tell that there was something not right with Chris.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_ Thought Chris.

And all of a sudden, the flashes of the media cameras were the flash of his muzzle as he fired his Lightning Hawk Magnum at the oncoming Majini. As he fired at Wesker, enraged that he could make the woman he loved suffer so much—the scream of her agony burning bright into his brain.

Chris shook his head to try and clear his thoughts, oblivious to the Captain's hand on his shoulder and repeating his name, pulling him away from the podium. He was barely aware of Jill leaping to the stage and running up to him, as he collapsed while seeing one word in red emblazoned on his speech.

KIJUJU.

"Chris!!!!"

Jill caught a slumping Chris in his arms, silence and a quiet panic enveloping the crowd, while the captain signaled for the medics. She noticed that his eyes, though closed, were twitching. And he was mumbling feverishly.

_It's like….post-traumatic stress reaction, _Jill mused worriedly, concern etched across her beautiful features. But she had never expected it from Chris. She cradled him, head pressed to her chest, letting him know that she would never leave his side.

It was hard to remember that even under the scratchy stubble and newly ripped muscle, he was still the young man that she had first come to know—that he could let the things he witnessed get to him on any level.

To some level, she felt guilty. Though she knew it wasn't her fault, Chris had been devastated for the past 2 years due to her apparent death.

_And to go through everything he did in Africa…just to see if I was still alive. _

Jill, feeling a constricting lump tighten in her throat, hugged Chris to her tighter, as he slowly started to regain some semblance of clarity.

"Jill?" He muttered huskily, clearing his eyes and sitting up. "Oh…damn. What happened?"

"It would appear, Mr. Redfield, that you are not as put-together as you would like as all to believe." Stated a voice behind them. "You saved our hides in Africa many time, mon. I'll get'ya cleared for a vacation, you deserve some major time off."

Chris smiled sheepishly, still feeling weak and light-headed. He'd recognize the Jamaican accent anywhere.

"Thanks, Josh."

Jill, putting one of Chris' massive shoulders around her, lifted him up onto his feet.

"Jesus," she groaned. "How much do you weigh again?"

"Hey! I –"

"Redfield!" Chris turned around. His captain approached quickly.

"Yes, sir? I'm sorry sir. I don't know wha—"

"Can it, Redfield. You did a spectacular job in the face of so much shit. If anyone's been through some trauma, it's been you. Now here's your medal, now take Jill and get going home. You ain't coming back till you have some rest."

"Yes, sir!" Chris turned, putting his arm around Jill, and walking off the stage. He frowned, noticing her studying him carefully.

"What?"

"Oh? Nothing," replied Jill hurriedly. "Just worried about you, is all."

"Me? You were the one that was enslaved and put through hell for 2 years…"

"Yeah, well, shit, do you call what happened back there natural, Chris?" That silenced him, not sure what to say for one of the first times in his life.

"I just need rest, and time to recover, is all." Said Chris. "I've gotten over seeing worse. And you know I'll tell you if I'm not ok."

"Well, if you're sure…" murmured Jill, "…Your little event let us miss the awards ball. So since you're officially on vacation and in need of some care…"

"Oh, I like where this is going already." Chris interjected

"…We should define the number of ways to experience, 'tender loving care'?" She asked, turning to face him and put her hands on the small of his back.

"Does it come with a nurse outfit?"

"Pig!"

{There you go! I wasn't sure how to end it. I thought I might as well end it fluffy, I was going to go for some more angst, but it's just not my style. I'd have other viral episodes to work with if I really wanted to. Anyways, read and review! And check out my Chris/Jill community!}

--KeybladeM


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